"I don't know either!" Ji Ying rolled her eyes and said, "I was stupid if I didn't run away after seeing him lose his temper! You know, your Uncle Chi rarely loses his temper! At least I've been with him for so many years, and I've never seen him so furious - when he's angry, he usually just plots against others. It's too much trouble to let his emotions show on his face, he said! That's why I ran to your place to hide!"
In the past, Jiying always called Zhou Shaojin "your Uncle Chi", and Zhou Shaojin only felt proud or sweet about it, but now, he feels guilty.
She couldn't help but say, "What nonsense are you talking about? Uncle Chi doesn't belong to me alone!"
"He is indeed not yours alone." Ji Ying took a bite of the candy without caring, and said, "But he is the best to you. I am just trying my best... If you can't protect me, no one else can protect me either, so I won't suffer any loss. What if you can protect me? Then I have found the right person!"
Zhou Shaojin was furious and asked suspiciously, "Did you make Uncle Chi angry? Otherwise, why are you hiding?"
"If I had made your Uncle Chi angry, I would have been thrown into some corner." Ji Ying said dissatisfiedly, "How can I sit here and drink tea and eat snacks with you? Why don't you believe that your Uncle Chi is not a good man!"
Zhou Shaojin rarely talked to her much.
He didn't want to dwell on Cheng Chi with Jiying anymore, so he changed the subject and asked Jiying where he had been these days.
Ji Ying was still lazy and sighed, "I just run around everywhere! It would be great if I could settle down like you one day."
This way she can practice her sword skills properly.
Now she is like those traveling performers, and she has to go out with the title of Cheng Chi's maid. The thought of it makes her feel upset.
Seeing that she didn't want to say more, Zhou Shaojin stopped asking and showed Jiying the new winter clothes made by Biyu.
Ji Ying also knew that Bi Yu was about to get married, and asked, "Have you seen Zuo Xian? What kind of person is he? You are the old lady's maid, and marrying you is equivalent to holding the golden rice bowl of the Cheng family. Has he ever flirted with other women before you..."
A lot of questions made Biyu blush.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help laughing and asked, "Why do you look like Biyu's mother?"
Ji Ying said: "I have suffered a loss myself, so I am afraid that others will be fooled too?"
Biyu didn't know about Jiying, but Zhou Shaojin did. But Biyu had been working for the old lady for many years, and she knew what to ask and what not to ask. She knew everything in her heart, and thanked Jiying shyly, saying in a low voice: "Our ancestors were both the old lady's concubines. I also have a sister who married into the Zuo family a long time ago. He was raised by my sister, and it was my sister who helped him get the match..."
"Oh, so they are childhood sweethearts!" Ji Ying was very interested and wanted to ask more, but Nanny Shang came over.
Everyone was a little surprised.
Especially Zhou Shaojin, she thought Cheng Chi was looking for her.
Who knew that Nanny Shang smiled and greeted Ji Ying, then said to Zhou Shaojin, "I just happened to be free, and when I heard that my second cousin was at Miss Biyu's place, I came over to join in the fun. It's so hot, do you want me to help Xueqiu take a bath?"
After entering the dog days of summer, Zhou Shaojin gave Snowball a bath every day. Occasionally, Nanny Shang would touch Snowball when she passed by. Since she was not Zhou Shaojin's servant, she had never given Snowball a bath.
Zhou Shaojin suddenly felt a little embarrassed and said, "I have already bathed Snowball." Then he pointed to the embroidered cushion and said, "Everyone, sit down and talk!"
"No, no." Nanny Shang smiled and said, "You girls can talk together. I'm going to go feed the birds for my second cousin."
"The birds have been fed too." Zhou Shaojin said.
Nanny Shang smiled and said, "My second cousin has been doing needlework at home these days. Do you want me to go to the street to buy you some embroidery thread or paper?"
"No need." Zhou Shaojin said, "We still have a lot of these things at home." But she was wondering in her heart, why did Nanny Shang seem to insist on doing something for her
She thought for a moment and said, "If you have nothing else to do, why don't you tell the greenhouse staff to remember to move the camellia I'm raising out of Lulu Night Breeze at night."
Nanny Shang went there happily.
Zhou Shaojin asked curiously, "What's wrong with you? Uncle Chi's temper is scary, right?"
Jiying was too lazy to talk to her.
The three of them spent the entire afternoon in the Jade House.
Mrs. Guo invited Mrs. Guan to have dinner with her.
Cheng Chi did not come over, but sent someone to greet Old Lady Guan.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
She thought she would meet Cheng Chi and know how Cheng Chi felt now!
I don’t know how Uncle Chi is doing now
Zhou Shaojin was secretly worried in his heart, and helped Mrs. Guo and Mrs. Guan to place the chopsticks.
Old Madam Guo smiled and said to her, "Your cousin Gao invited the eldest wife of the Gu family to be his wife. Now that the eldest wife of the Gu family is in mourning, she cannot attend the wedding, so they invited the eldest sister-in-law of the second wife of the Gu family, Shen's family, instead. Your grandmother said that it was thanks to the efforts of the eldest wife of the Gu family that your cousin Gao's wedding went smoothly. Now that the eldest wife of the Shen family has agreed, the Gu family should also express their gratitude. Speaking of the flower viewing party you held at home a few days ago, several young ladies attended and both the host and the guests had a great time. I would like you to be the host again and invite several young ladies of the Gu family who are in mourning to come and play for a day, which can be regarded as agreeing to the care of the eldest wife of the Gu family before."
Zhou Shaojin had attended several parties in her previous life, but she was always a small grass at the party, not even a foil, and gradually she became afraid of it and had no interest in it. But this time, at the flower viewing party she held, Zhu Zhu and the others not only had similar personalities to her, but were also people who could accommodate each other. Even the two young ladies of the Guo family had a great time and were reluctant to leave. They promised that when Zhu Zhu got married, she would definitely go to the wedding with the adults to drink.
Now that there was a chance to get together again, Zhou Shaojin gladly agreed.
Old Madam Guan laughed and said, "You will have to take more care of it when the time comes."
This was too polite, and based on Zhou Shaojin's understanding of Old Lady Guan, he felt that her smile was a little forced.
Could it be that he is worried that his cousin Gao’s marriage will not go smoothly
She guessed and didn't take it to heart.
After all, it is a marriage between two families, so it is normal for each to have their own ideas. As long as you are willing to sit down and discuss it carefully, there is nothing that cannot be done.
After dinner, after seeing off Old Lady Guan, Chief Steward Qin asked to see her.
It was said that someone from Xinglin Hutong in the capital had sent a letter back saying that Yuan had already set out on her journey and would probably be back home around August 13th, so she could come back in time to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Madam Guo nodded coldly and instructed Madam Lu to take people to clean the main courtyard of the eldest house, Yunzhen Hall.
Zhou Shaojin frowned invisibly.
Now that Yuan is back and it’s Mid-Autumn Festival, Cheng Xu will definitely come back.
Where will she hide then
The thought flashed through her mind and she calmed down again.
Madam Guo has received the news, and Uncle Chi must have also received the news. He knows that she doesn't like to see Cheng Xu, so he will make arrangements!
After leaving the upper room, she looked at the dark Tingli Pavilion, hesitated for a long time, and finally returned to Fucui Pavilion. Early the next morning, she wrote the note and gave it to Chunwan. Chunwan took the note and Nanny Wang to the Gu family in Meihua Lane and set the date of the visit for two days later.
With his experience from last time, Zhou Shaojin made various preparations for the banquet with ease, and then asked Jiying to help.
Jiying’s greatest interest was going to the kitchen to try the snacks prepared for the banquet.
Zhou Shaojin asked her, "Is Uncle Chi in a better mood?"
"Who knows!" Ji Ying said carelessly, "He has a gloomy face most of the time, I can't tell."
Zhou Shaojin pushed her unhappily.
She didn't take it seriously and said to the chef on the stove, "This bowl of cake is delicious. Can you steam a few more for me to take home?"
The lady at the stove looked at Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin nodded slightly.
The lady in the kitchen responded with a smile.
Ji Ying said, "I haven't seen you for a few days. You can take charge of the kitchen now."
"You're talking nonsense again." The two of them walked out of the kitchen while chatting about this and that.
When I returned to Fucui Pavilion at night, Tingli Pavilion was still pitch dark.
I didn’t see it at dinner either!
Could it be that Uncle Chi went out
Zhou Shaojin pondered, and remembering that he had to get up early the next day, he resisted the urge to knock on the door of the Oriole Pavilion.
The next day, she entertained several young ladies from the Gu family at a waterside pavilion called "Songshuang Pavilion", and invited the sixth and seventh young ladies from the Guo family.
The two young ladies of the Guo family were more lively than the last time they met. The sixth young lady of the Guo family even asked her a little embarrassedly: "The comb on your head is so beautiful. Where did you buy it?"
Zhou Shaojin thought sourly, if you were my aunt Chi, who knows how many beautiful combs you would have... But he didn't show it in his expression, and smiled, "I bought it from Hangzhou Prefecture. If you like it, I'll have someone bring back a set for you and your sister."
But the things in her dressing table were bought for her by Uncle Chi, and she would never give them to anyone else!
"No, no." Miss Guo's Sixth Miss heard that the girl had bought it from such a faraway place. She was afraid of troubling others and kept shaking her head, saying, "I'm just asking. I don't want to buy it."
Zhou Shaojin just went with the flow and no longer mentioned bringing her a comb.
But Mrs. Guo, Mrs. Guan and Mrs. Mian came over.
Several little girls came forward and saluted.
Mrs. Guo smiled and asked everyone to excuse themselves and introduced the young ladies from the Gu and Guo families to Mrs. Guan.
Old Mrs. Guan smiled kindly and gave everyone gifts when they met.
Mrs. Miao just supported Mrs. Guan and stood aside to watch, but her face did not look very good.
Zhou Shaojin thought she was here for Cheng Gao's marriage, so after Madam Mian sat down, he considerately asked the maid to bring a bowl of rock sugar, lotus seeds and white fungus soup to Madam Mian.
Mrs. Miao took the bowl, put it on the coffee table beside her, took Zhou Shaojin's hand and patted it gently, her eyes seemed to be filled with tears.
Zhou Shaojin was frightened and whispered quickly, "Aunt, what's wrong with you?" He then used his body to block Mrs. Mian.
Mrs. Miao took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes, saying, "It's okay, it's okay. My aunt only has two boys, and she wants a daughter as caring and sensible as you."
Zhou Shaojin smiled, but his heart was filled with turmoil.
Is the Cheng family going to propose marriage to my father
But isn't this right
A marriage proposal should be a happy occasion, so why does my aunt-in-law look so sad
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Sisters and brothers, today's update!
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: There are typos, which will be corrected later.
※(To be continued)